Catherine A. Collins, Ph.D.
Washington University School of Medicine
Department of Pharmacology
St. Louis, MO 63110
Phone: (314) 362-9866
Fax: (314) 362-7058
ccollins@wustl.edu
Education
Doctor of Philosophy, Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco
Bachelor of Science, Biology, Minor in Chemistry, Bard College, Annandale, NY
2000
1993
Professional Positions
Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
Post-doctoral Fellow in laboratory of Aaron DiAntonio
Fall 2001-present
University of California, Berkeley
Post-doctoral Fellow in laboratory of Corey Goodman
2001
San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA
Instructor (Genetics) in Department of Biology
2000
University of California, San Francisco
Graduate Student in laboratory of Christine Guthrie
1993-2000
Honors and Awards
James L. O’Leary Prize, Department of Neurology, Washington University
2006
Postdoctoral Fellowship from Paralyzed Veterans of America
2004-2006
Postdoctoral Fellowship from Damon Runyon Cancer Foundation
2001-2003
Postdoctoral Fellowship from Jane Coffin Childs Foundation (awarded but declined)
Graduate Opportunity Fellowship, University of California, San Francisco
Catherine A. Collins
curriculum vitae, p.1
2001
1994-1996
Harold Griffiths Award in Chemistry, Bard College
1993
Research Interests
I am interested in how synapses form, and how their formation is regulated by developmental cues and
experience. Using Drosophila as a model system, I have recently discovered a new molecular pathway
that promotes synaptic growth and the process of axonal transport. My future directions include genetic,
biochemical, and live imaging approaches to characterize the function and mechanism of the pathway. I
am interested in how this pathway regulates gene expression, and in how this pathway signals from the
synapse to the nucleus. Since this molecular pathway is conserved, my work will generate new tools for
studying signaling and transport mechanisms in the axon, and will be relevant to the study of
neurodegenerative disorders and repair of neuronal injuries.
Research Experience
Postdoctoral Research with Aaron DiAntonio at Washington University
2001-present
Function of the vesicular glutamate transporter (DVGLUT) in Drosophila
Developed tools for studying the expression and function of the transporter that loads synaptic vesicles
with glutamate at the Drosophila NMJ. This work has thus far generated three publications.
Restraint of synaptic growth by a ubiquitin ligase
Identified the MAPKKK Wallenda as the functional target of the Highwire ubiquitin ligase during
synaptic growth. This work has generated one publication and many future directions.
Postdoctoral Fellowship with Corey Goodman at Univeristy of California, Berkeley
2001
Wrote fellowship applications to study the regulation of guidance receptors on growth cones during
axon guidance. Learned techniques in Drosophila genetics and topics in axon guidance.
Graduate Research with Christine Guthrie at UCSF
1994-2000
The role of protein in the catalytic core of the spliceosome
Used genetic and biochemical techniques to investigate the role protein in catalysis of pre-mRNA
splicing. My data suggests that Prp8, the most highly conserved protein in the spliceosome, acts via an
RNA structure. This supports the model that the spliceosome is, at its core, an RNA enzyme.
Other Research Experience and Training
Course in Neurobiology of Drosophila at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
2001
Rotation projects in structural biology with Robert Fletterick, Fred Cohen and Alan Frankel at UCSF.
Undergraduate research project in biology at Bard College.
1993
Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship at Dartmouth Medical School
1992
Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship at Rockefeller University.
1991
Catherine A. Collins
curriculum vitae, p.2
Teaching Experience
Instruction
Instructor
San Francisco State University, Department of Biology
Fall 2000
Co-taught the Introduction to Genetics course. Developed and presented three lectures per week to two
sections of approximately 50 students each. Gave one-on-one instruction to students in bi-weekly
office hours. Designed problems and exams.
Teaching Assistant
University of California, San Francisco, School of Pharmacy
Fall 1997, Winter 1998
Presented lectures to introduce weekly laboratory exercises and underlying principles in Physical
Chemistry and Kinetics. Supervised students through problem-solving exercises, assisted students
during weekly office hours. Graded weekly assignments and exams.
Mentorship
Washington University, St. Louis, DiAntonio lab
2001-present
Supervised research projects for three undergraduate students (Pavan Bhat, Masha Gelfand, and
Timothy Tran), and rotation projects for two graduate students. This entailed instruction in Drosophila
genetics, molecular biology, microscopy, and biochemistry. Masha Gelfand, whose work has
contributed to two publications, is now a graduate student at Harvard, and Timothy Tran is now in
medical school at Washington University. Pavan Bhat is only a junior, but already intends to attend
graduate school.
University of California, San Francisco, Guthrie lab
Supervised two graduate student rotation projects and one undergraduate summer project.
1994-2000
Community Outreach
Young Scientists Program, Washington University
2002-2004
Chemistry Team Led activities in chemistry for high school students in the St. Louis public school district.
Science Education Partnership, UCSF
1998-2000
STAT Project Designed and taught three lessons in genetics for fifth graders.
SF BASE Biotechnology Project Led a laboratory exercise in DNA fingerprinting for high school students.
C. D. Owen High School, Swannanoa, NC
1991
Taught three lessons in molecular biology and DNA fingerprinting to several biology classes at my
alma mater high school. Obtained electrophoresis equipment for the school with a grant from the
Department of Energy.
Catherine A. Collins
curriculum vitae, p.3
Publications
Horiuchi, D.*, Collins, C.A.*, Barkus, R.V., Bhat, P., DiAntonio, A., and Saxton, W.M. in preparation,
APLIP1/JIP-1 and the JNK pathway kinases regulate kinesin-1 mediated axonal transport in Drosophila.
*co-first author
Collins, C.A., and DiAntonio, A. (2007). Synaptic Development: Insights from Drosophila. Current
Opinion in Neurobiology. Invited submission, in press.
Collins, C.A., Wairkar, Y.P., Johnson, S.L. and DiAntonio, A. (2006). Highwire restrains synaptic
growth by attenuating a MAP kinase signal. Neuron 51: 57-69.
Daniels R.W., Collins C.A., Chen, K., Gelfand, M.V., Featherstone, D.E., DiAntonio, A. (2006)
A single vesicular glutamate transporter is sufficient to fill a synaptic vesicle.
Neuron 49:11-6.
Wu, C., Wairkar Y.P., Collins C.A., DiAntonio A. (2005). Highwire function at the Drosophila
neuromuscular junction: spatial, structural, and temporal requirements. Journal of Neuroscience.
25:9557-66.
Daniels, R.W.*, Collins, C.A*., Gelfand, M.V., Dant, J., Brooks, E.S., Krantz, D.E., DiAntonio, A.
(2004) Increased expression of the Drosophila vesicular glutamate transporter leads to excess glutamate
release and a compensatory decrease in quantal content. Journal of Neuroscience 24:10466-74.
*co-first author
Collins, C. A., and DiAntonio, A. (2004). Coordinating synaptic growth without being a nervous wreck.
Neuron 41: 489-91.
Collins, C. A., and Guthrie, C. (2001), Genetic interactions between the 5' and 3' splice site consensus
sequences and U6 snRNA during the second catalytic step of pre-mRNA splicing. RNA 7:1845-54.
Collins, C. A., and Guthrie, C. (2000), The question remains: Is the spliceosome a ribozyme? Nature
Structual Biology 7: 850-4.
Collins, C. A., and Guthrie, C. (1999), Allele-specific genetic interactions between Prp8 and RNA active
site residues suggest a function for Prp8 at the catalytic core of the spliceosome, Genes and
Development 13: 1970-1982.
Catherine A. Collins
curriculum vitae, p.4